What Are Your Options When Life Goes Over Budget?
Moms know to be ready for anything. They are the most organized and well-prepared people on the planet! They have to be. Kids, work, and spouses will always throw unexpected challenges our way. Remember when your son’s sippy cup lid was found to be less than secure? You had that spare top ready to go in your bag. And when your partner brought half the office over for a dinner meeting, the house was already immaculately presentable. You even had food on the table in under forty minutes. Moms rise to the challenge every time!
So what happens when we drop the ball? We’re only human, and sometimes the unexpected is, well, unexpected. We can’t possibly prepare for every surprise that might come our way. Or can we? You don’t have to be able to fix a problem immediately. Simply having the resources to find a solution is good enough. So what can you do?
Life has become much more expensive in the last few years, and household budgets are being squeezed. It seems inevitable that we’re going to have to make some cuts to spending somewhere. Still, in the meantime, the bills continue to roll in. You’ve probably developed quite an effective budget that means there are funds put aside for these things. But what is your plan of action if something unexpected happens?
Not many of us are in a position to put aside much in the way of savings to cover these spending emergencies. You might need to look instead to cash advances on your wage or using a credit card to see you through. Borrowing isn’t ideal, but it is certainly a solution to an emergency situation like this. In the meantime, you can start to look for ways to increase your income. You might even be able to sell some of your unused belongings.
Once you’ve borrowed money, you know the clock is ticking to repay it. If you can’t make the extra money, then you might need to adjust next month’s budget. You can do this by reducing what you spend in each area by just a little. It might hopefully add up to enough to cover what you need to pay back. Still, frugality like this can be quite hard. Where are the best places to make those cuts?
Energy bills are pricey, but you can reduce the amount of energy you use to reduce your bill. Be strict about turning out the lights when they’re not used, and switch to LED bulbs to reduce the power needed to light them. Next time you have to replace any appliances, pick a more energy efficient one. In the meantime, reduce your cooking time by batch cooking, and only heat or cool the rooms you’re in.
Some of the most obvious places to cut your spend are on non-essentials like coffees out, eating out, and paid-for activities out. Reduce the number of visits to the salon, and try to shop for fashion only when you need to replace some clothing. What’s your plan for overspending challenges?
